Bylaws, rules and compliance

• All vessels inward bound must give 24 hours’ notice of their ETA off the port limits.
• If bound from Auckland or near ports, vessels send the ETA immediately on departure from that port. A second message confirming or amending the first is to be sent four hours before the ETA.
• Should, however, the vessel expect to arrive later than her 24-hour message, her four hour message shall be sent four hours before the ETA given in her original message.
• Pre-arrival communications should be completed and sent to your local Port Agent at least 48 hours prior to arrival to meet NZ requirements.

Radio notification to be sent to "Port Health Tauranga", regarding state of health of crew and ETA between12-24 hours before arrival requesting Radio Pratique. 

A notification of intention to arrive at a port must be provided to the Port of Tauranga and the Harbourmasters office at least 48 hours prior to the vessel's arrival if the ship is on an international voyage, or as soon as practicable; and before the vessel enters the port if the ship is on a domestic voyage (Maritime rule 24A.86).   

This notification should include a hazardous cargo manifest, dangerous goods certificates, and for certain classes, details of the shipper and transporting company. These documents are crucial for ensuring the safe handling and storage of dangerous goods.  

Refer to the Port of Tauranga Hazardous Documentation Requirements.

It is a requirement that all vessels that are undertaking main engine or critical auxiliary system maintenance during their stay at the Port of Tauranga supply the Port of Tauranga Ltd and the Harbourmaster with the following information via the Vessel Maintenance Declaration Form PRIOR to undertaking any work either at anchor, or alongside any berth. 

For any immobilisations occurring at anchorage, please also provide copies of the following documentation: 

1. Hazardous cargo declaration.  
2. Certificate of registry.  
3. Document of compliance.  
4. P&I club certificate of entry.  
5. Hull insurance certificate.  
6. Ship particulars.  
7. Wreck removal certificate. 

Please do not apply more than 48 hours prior to planned operation. 

Please apply to the Port of Tauranga and the Harbourmaster not more than 48 hours prior to your planned drill or emergency exercise. 
Once approved, you will need to contact Port Control on VHF Channel 12 prior to commencing the drill and again once the drill has finished and lifeboats are out of the water. 

• Please apply for approval from the Port of Tauranga for an exemption to the Navigation bylaw 3.13.2.  
• You will need to maintain a good weather watch at all times.   
• You will need to contact Port Control on VHF Channel 12 prior to commencing the operation.   

Please apply for approval from the Port of Tauranga and the Harbourmaster.   

Your request may be approved and will be on condition that all measures to prevent pollution are in place. See below: 

• The discharge of harmful substances and contaminants (including but not limited to paints, cleaning chemicals, scrubber waste) into the Coastal Marine Area (CMA) is not permitted.  
• If you are undertaking painting activities, all contaminants must be contained so that no paint is allowed to discharge into the CMA. Therefore, when painting, a drip sheet must be used to prevent drippage and paint containers must be housed in a drip tray. 
• Painting will not be approved if foul weather and conditions are forecast. 

Cleaning chemicals

• The discharge of harmful substances and contaminants (including but not limited to paints, cleaning chemicals, scrubber waste) into the Coastal Marine Area (CMA) is not permitted. Therefore, the use of cleaning chemicals where there is potential for that cleaning chemical to discharge into the CMA is not permitted.   
• The use of chemicals, whether approved, biodegradable, environmentally friendly or not, for the purpose of maintenance must be contained onboard and recovered.   
• They cannot be discharged overboard into the coastal marine area.   
• For clarity - all chemicals are deemed to be a harmful substance.  
• Rule CD13 of the Bay of Plenty Regional Coastal Plan applies. 

The discharge of untreated sewage is prohibited within the Tauranga Harbour. All sewage must be contained onboard and cannot be discharged within 10 kilometres of MHWS. 

Under the Resource management Act Section 17, every person has a duty to avoid, remedy, or mitigate any adverse effect on the environment arising from an activity carried on, by or on behalf of the person.

The discharge of A Grade and B Grade treated human sewage within Tauranga Harbour as is culturally insensitive. Therefore, we recommend that all sewage is stored on board and discharged outside the harbour entrance beyond 10 kilometres from MHWS. 

The discharge of harmful substances and contaminants (including but not limited to paints, cleaning chemicals, scrubber waste) into the Coastal Marine Area (CMA) is not permitted. Therefore, scrubber waste must be contained onboard and only discharged once beyond 12 nautical miles. Open loop scrubbers that discharge directly into the CMA cannot operate while within the Tauranga Harbour.  

Please contact Port Radio.

• Diving within the Port of Tauranga is permitted under specific conditions and with prior notification.  
• Diving activities are generally prohibited forward of the accommodation block during log loading operations.  
• Diving operations must maintain a minimum of 2.0m under keel clearance at all times.

No person may undertake diving operations in the vicinity of a port facility or marina within the Tauranga Harbour unless:

a) Notification of the intention to undertake the diving work has been provided to the port facility operator (or marina manager) and the Harbourmaster and;  

b) The diving work is being undertaken in accordance with a safe diving procedure 

 c) A copy of the safe diving procedure has been provided to the port facility operator (or marina manager) and the Harbourmaster. 

Notification: 

• Diving operations within the Port of Tauranga require notification to the Port Authority. Follow the Port of Tauranga Diving Notification Procedure process to do so. 

Environmental considerations: 

• The Port of Tauranga is located in a sensitive estuarine environment. Diving operations must be conducted in a manner that minimizes environmental impact and adheres to standard operating procedure. 

Every Pilot and PEC Master shall submit to the Harbourmaster each year, a record of transits and annual assessments as required by their respective approved training plans.

Notifications help us improve safety, security and the marine environment. As the Master you need to notify Maritime New Zealand and the Harbourmaster about certain circumstances. Events, incidents and situations are required to be notified. 

Events:   

• Includes accidents and serious harm injuries and illness.  
• Accidents include damage to ships which affects its seaworthiness such as groundings, collisions, machinery failure. 
• Serious harm injuries and illness may include death, amputation, burns or loss of consciousness that requires admission to hospital for immediate attention. 

Incidents: Not accidents, but incidents that are associated with the operation of a ship or could affect the safety of operation. 

Situations: Includes anything that could or has the potential to cause serious harm to people, vessels, equipment or the environment. 

Click here to notify Maritime New Zealand and email a copy of the report to the Harbourmaster at Harbourmasters@boprc.govt.nz